AWOL’s aim has always been to educate and inform rather than admonish and scold. Many of the injuries we see are caused by ignorance and lack of education rather than cruelty. The west bank is an extremely poor area and many villagers are uneducated and illiterate. It’s not that they don’t care for their animals; they just don’t know how to. AWOL offers advice to the animal’s owners and strives to educate them and the children of the villages in the hope that the next generation will better understand the needs of the animals. We provide free replacement equine tack and dog collars to replace the unsuitable materials used which are often the cause of injury.

We particularly welcome children who bring their animals to the centre as they are the future of animal care in Egypt. Many children bring their puppies for check-ups and worming and flea treatment; something that was unheard of before AWOL. We teach them the correct way of fitting a collar and advise them on caring for their animals.